Can-making machine.



No 848,296. PATENTED MAR. 26, 1907.

' T. J. DUGAN.

CAN MAKING MACHINE.

APPLIOATIONTILED AUG.14,1905'.

10 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Lwentcm JFW/ x b Now 18,296. PATENTED MAR. 26, 1907. T.J.DUGAN. CAN MAKING MACHINE APPLICATION FILED AUG. 14, 1905. 1o SHEETS-SHEET 2.

PATENTE'D MAR. 26, 1907. T.J.DUGAN. CAN MAKING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 14,1905.

10 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

min eo'o'eu'.

PATENTED MAR. 26, 1907. T. J.. DU'GAN CAN MAKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILE D AUG. 14,1905.

10 SHEETS-SHEET 4,

c9 Inventor,

PATENTED MAR. 26, 1 907:

T. J. DUGAN.

GAN MAKING MACHINE;

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 14, 1905.

' 1o SHEETS-SHEET 5.

Liz/6221307? PATENTED MAR..26,- 1907.

T. J. DUGAN. CAN MAKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.14, 1905.

10 SHEETS-SHEBT 6.

PATENTED MAR. 26, 1907 T. J. DUGAN. CAN MAKING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED AUG.14, 1905.

10 SHEETS-SHEET 7.

III/I Witneao' No. 848,296. I PATENTED MAR. 26, 1907.

. T. J. DUGAN. Y

(GAN MAKING MACHINE.

APPLIOATIdNIILED AUG. 14,1905.

-10 SHEETS-SHEET s.

PATENTED MAR. 26, 1907.

T.J.DUGAN. CAN MAKING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 14, 1905.

10 SHEETS-SHEET 10.

UNITED STATES ATEN OFFIOE.

THOMAS J. DUGAN, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO MARTIN J. O.

DONNELL, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

GAMMAKING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 26, 1907.

Application filed August 14, 1905. Serial No. 274,038.

description, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings.

The ob ect of this invention 18 to provide an efficient automatic machine for rapidly attaching the bottoms to can-bodies, curling the upper edge of'the body, and placing the covers on the cans thus completed. The can-bodies, the bottoms, and the covers may be fed to the machine continuously by gravity and the completed and covered cans automatically delivered.

The invention resides in the means and combination of mechanisms employed to attain the above objects, as more fully hereinafter explained and as definitely set out in the claims.

A preferred form of the machine, to be more fully hereinafter described, receives can-bodies and bottoms rolling toward it. in separate chutes. A pair of stops are provided, alternately entering these chutes to discharge a can body and bottom at a time into the machine. The can body and bot tom leaving the chute enter a receiving member, which turns them upward through a quarter of a rotation to bring the bottom horizontal and the can-lmdy resting thereonl In this position the body and bottom are en -gaged by a pair of traveling pins and shoved out of the receiving member onto a rotating chuck. Aplungcr then descends on the canbody and holds it with the bottom in place. Rollers are then caused to bear against the projecting edge of the bottom, turning it over onto the flange at the base of the can-body. thus seaming the two together. Then a pair of rollers are caused to bear upon the upper edge of the can-body and traveling around the same curl that upper edge inward togive it the form known as false wiring. Then the plunger recedes from the can-body, and a cover rolling down an incline is turned over nto the grasp of a pair of fingers, which center it directly over the can-body, whereupon the plunger comes downward, forcing the cover onto the can-body. The completed t i I and covered can now comes into position Where it leaves the machine, and material for a new can is' inserted in its place.

In the drawings, which illustrate the preferred formnbove referred to, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine. Fig. 2 is a rear view thereof. Fig. 3 is a plan. Fig. is a vertical section in a plane parallel with Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on the line 5 5 of Figs. 1 and 4:. Fig. 6 is a plan View of the mechanism-for feeding the cans to the several chucks and is a sectional plan of the rest of the machine in the plane. indicated byline t) on Fig. i. Fig. 7 is a vertical section on the line 7 7 of Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a detached view in plan of the cover-feeding mechanism. Fig. 9 is a sectional elevation of such mechanism. Fig. 10 is a detail in h )llZOllfill section on the line It) 10 of Fig. ll. Fig. 11 is a vertical section through the mechanism for giving the can its false wiring. Figs. l2 to us. inclusive, are in the nature of diagrams showing the can at" its various stages through the machine. Fig. 12 shows the bod v and bottom placed together ready of the mechanism and is continnouslv rotated by m ans of a horizontal shaft t, which is geared with it by beveled gears I) and 0. Gears r and 0- connect thisshaft with the driving-shaft t", which carries a usual stepped belt-pulley c. v

'ltigidly secured to the shaft 1%. so as to rotale with it, are two horizontal supporting members I) and It. which carry, respectively, the upper and lower devices for holding and rotatin the can during its various operations. the lower holdingwhuck is designated (l and the upper ll. The drawings show five of those holding means, wherefore live cans are being operated on simultaneously in their various stages of completioni' ing that travel the bottom is seamed onto the bod the false wiring formed at the top of the ody, and the cover placed on the can.

The hrst o eration in natural sequence is the feeding of thecan bodiesand bottoms to the machine. This will now be described. The can-bodies lie on their cylindrical sides in a chute J, Figs. 3 to 7, which is inclined slightly, so that they will roll by gravity toward the machine. At the side of this chute is a channel j, separated by a partition j. This channel is occupied bythe bottoms restin on theinperipheries and also tending to rd l'toward the machine.

The bodies and bottoms are held from rolling into the machine by stop-bars 7' 7' extending across them and occupying recesses within the base of the chute. As shown in Fig. 4, these stop-bars have an. inclined support, so that if they are moved longitudinally they will be raised or lowered. The stopbars are connected by links 7" 7' with a rockshaft K. This rock-shaft carries a pinion k, with which meshes the segment-arm K, carrying a roller is, adapted to be engaged by one ,of a series of cams e on the rotating mem- I gers j, as shown in dotted lines.

ceive the bottom. of the can. body and bottom have rolled into this re ber E. When one of the cams engages this roller, it rocks the shaft K, drawing down the stop-bar j and elevating the bar j This allows a can body and bottom to roll from the position shown in full lines in Fig. 7 between the stop-bar j and the fingers j into position between'the stop-barj and the fin- Then as the cam c clears the roller is the shaft K is rocked in the opposite direction, and the stop-bar is again elevated to block the ad- Vance of other cans, and the stop-bar 7' is depressed to allow the forward can body and bottom to roll into the machine.

To receive the can body and bottom, (designated Z and Z, respectively,) as they come into the machine, I provide a short semicylindrical sleeve K mounted on the shaft K. This sleeve has a groove k to receive the outward flange at the base of the can-body and grasp the body sufliciently to hold it as it is being turned into position. The sleeve K also has a separate compartment k to re- As soon as the ceiving-sleeve the shaft K makes its return movement, which, as has been described, elevates the stop-bar movement, which is a quarter of a rotation, turns the receiving member k with the can which has just rolled into it,' upward to bring the bottom into a horizontal position with the body directly above it; It will be seen that when the bar j is up to block the .cans the receiving member is also up to hold the previously-received can in upright position. After that can has been removed from the receiving member, as about to be described, the return movement of the receiv- This same return sit-ion is illustrated in Fig. 112.

ing member into the position shown in Fig. 7 draws downward the bar 7' as shown in that figure, so that the foremost can may roll into the receiving member, the subsequent cans being blocked by the bar y' As soon as the foremost can has reached the receiving member the succeeding cam e engages the roller is .and again rocks the receiving member upward to turn the can body and bottom into upgght position. 1 hen the can body and bottom have been turned into active position, as above de scribed, they stand just in front of a pair of 'pins'c, carried by the member E. Thereuponthese pins, traveling through slots k in the bottom of the receiving member K and engaging the can bottom and body, shove the same out of. the receiving member, where-' upon they drop onto the lower chuck member G, the receiving member thereafter swinging back for fresh material, as above described.

The chuck G includes a circular plate of substantially the diameter of a finished can and secured to a sleeve g, journaled in the, frame member E. On the lower end of this sleeve is a pinion g, which is constantly in mesh'with a large gear F, which is carried by a sleeve f, journaled on the shaft B. This sleeve carries a bevel-gearf, meshing with a bevel-gear c" on the forward end of the main driving-shaft C. The gear f is thus rotated in the opposite direction to the support E and preferably at an'increased speed. These opposite rotations give to each chuck a rotation about its own axis.

As soon as the can-body is turned into up-, right position, as stated, the upper chuck H comes down'on top of the can-body, holding it until the bottom is rightly centered on the chuck. As soon as the can body and bottom have been moved out of the receiving member a slight further descent of the head H holds the can firmly on the bottom, the upthe action of the cam-groove a that brings the head H down on the can-body. As soon as the head has engaged the can-body the latter is firmly held on the bottom, resting on the chuck G. It is thus in position to have the bottom seamed onto the body. This po- This upper chuck is rotatably ICO The seaming of the bottom onto the body is accomplished by the successive action of a pair of forming-rollers L and L, which are rotatably mounted, respectively, on vertical pins carried by slidable blocks Z, which are connected by toggle-links Z with vertical rods Z extensional of which carry rollers 1 engaging the under side of a stationary cam a carried by the stationary member A". As soon as the can-bodyis firmly seated and held on the bottom the corresponding roller Z engages the cam a, forcing the formingroller L against the projecting peri hery of the can-bottom, turning it partia ly over onto the base-flange of the body, as shown in Fig. 13. Thereafter another forming-roller L associated with the rotating chuck which is grasping the can whose bottom is being seamed thereto, is moved so that it will come; into engagement with the partiallycompleted seam, and thereby roll it up more tightly and com lete it. The block carrying this seaming-rel er L is moved backward or forward by mechanism which is precisely like that'which has been heretofore explained for moving that block which carries the seamingroller L. Fig. 12 shows the condition of the edge of the bottom and of the flange on the body before either seaming-roll has acted upon them. Fig. 13 shows the condition of said parts after the roller L has done its work, and Fig. 14 shows the scam after it has been completed by the action of the roller if. At the conclusion of the operation of these forming-rollers they are retracted by the springs which elevate the rods Z. The extension of the rod Z is screw-threaded to it in order to provide a convenient adjustment. After the bottom has been seamed onto the body the forming-rollers corresponding to that can are idle for the rest of the rotation of the shaft B. The next operation which takes place is the false wiring, which consists in curling over inwardly the upper edge of the body. The construction of the mechanism for this purpose, now to be described, is shown in Figs. 7, 10, and 1]. Embracing rod l1 above the rotatable .chuck member ll is a collar 21, which has a tongue-and-groove connection with rod 71 by reason of which it may be moved vertically thereon but cannot turn. The \'okepiecc X is rotatably mounl ed upon this collar n below a plate 11;, which extends as a flange outward from the collar The yoke-piece has depending arms 1r", whose iower ends enter notches /r in the edges of" the chuck member ll, wherefore under normal conditions the yoke-piece N rototes with the chuck member ll. A spring n acts to thrust the yoke-piece N upward, whereby the collar 71 is also moved upward. On the under side of the collar n are the downwardl pro 'ccting lingers 21, which are normally a. ove hut are ada )tcd to enter re cusses 72""in a disk or collar L, which is rigid with chuck-head I-l. Two yerlicallV-nlov;

able rods it, suitably guided by a poifion of the machine-frame, are connected at their upper ends by a cross-bar which carries a roller W. This roller engages in a cam-groove a in the non-rotatable member A The lower ends of these bars it rest upon the 'VVhen this yoke-piece so moves down, the

lingers n will enter the holes b and thereby the yoke-piece will be caused to discontinue its revolution. Because'the can is still revolved the top edge of the can will be carried around in contact with said rollers and will be curled inwardthat is to say, it will be false-wired. The downward movement of the yoke-piece N is accompanied by a suitable upward movement of the chuck member H, due to the form of the cam with which the roller it engages, to permit the top'of the can to be so false-wired.

The foregoing operations have completed the can, and the next operation is to place the cover on it. The covers lie on edge in a suitable chute P, Figs. 5 and 8. This chute is inclined sufficiently to cause the covers to roll toward the machine. The covers are normally stopped by a pin p, carried at one end ofan intermediately-pivoted lever p. The other end of this lever has a stop-pin p". The lever is connected with a segment-arm p which engages wit i teeth on a trip-leyer When the forward end of this lever is engaged, the lever 11' is rocked, withdra wing the pin p to release the forward cover and projecting the pin p into the path of the succeeding cover. Then as the lever rocks back the pin 7) withdrawsand the foremost coycr remainingin the chute comes a ainst the pin 7) ready forsullsequcnt action. lhc cover is released. as above described, by the engagement of the forward end of the trip-lever p by an upwardly projecting shaft- Q, journalcd in bracltctsq, carried by the rotating member I). hen lhc cover is thus rclmsed, it rolls forward along the inner side of the curved vertical guard-plate l and falls oycr an arm (1 at the base of the support 1 into horizontal position between that a rm and another arm q", journalcd on the frame member l These two arms (1 and q are connected together by meshing scgmentairns and (1" and are opended by an arm g, which carries a roller engaging the peripheral cam-surface (1 of thc stationary cam A. This cam surface is formed to cause the arms q and q" to approai-h each other as soonas the cover is between them, thereby grasping that cover and centering it over the can-body. As soon as the cover is centered over the can body-the head- H, which wascle-vated to allow the cover to D turn into place, is again depressed by the action of the cam-groove a. This depression operates to force the cover onto the can-body.

The can is' now completed and covered, and it only remains to discharge it. This is accomplished by the head H again rising under the action of the cam-grooves a and a and the plate 9 in the center of the-disk G of the lower chuck being elcva'ted to force the can off this chuck. This elevation is caused 7, which carries the plate, engaging at its lower end with a stationary cam a carried by the frame. This operation loosens the completed can and elevates it sufliciently so that the pins e may pass beneath it. Atthe same timethe body engages the stationary discharge-plate It,

by a central rod 9 Fi and b reason of, such engagement and contin e travel of the support the canis caused to. lide out onto the discharge-table R.

" It will be seen from the above description that the machine is entirely automatic, its material being, fed by gravity and the complete product being automatically delivered. The feeding-chutes and the discharge-table being stationary, the original reception -of the can members and the cover in the machine as well as-the discharge from the machine take place at definite points, but without diminution the speed of travel of the machine. The operations of seaming, false wiring, and forcing the coverironto the canbody take place, not at single 'points, but during different portions of the travel of the parts. This allows the operation to be continuous and extremely rapid, The speed of rotation is not varied or interrupted, and no time is lost, such as would be the case if the can parts were simply successively brought to stationary positions at which the diflerent operations were performed. I claim 1. In a can-makinginachi-ne,"the'combina tion of an inclined chute adapted to convey to the machine can bodies and bottoms, a rotatable and bodily-travelin chuck adapted to receive the can body an bottom, and a seaming-roller adapted to act on such, parts while the chuck is traveling. x

2. In a can-making machine, the combina; tion of a rotatable support, a series of chucks carried thereby, means for forming a seam on seamingrollermovably m nted upon the support, and mechanism for moving it into I chuck and support are rotating.

4. The combination of a rotatable support, a series of chucks each consisting of two membersrotatably mounted upon said support in axial alinement, means for rotating one member of each pair of chuck members while the support travels, formingrollers which. are severally associated with eachchuck and are mounted upon the rotatable support, and mechanism for'automatically moving said rollers into operative engagement with the can-bodies severally held'in the chucks, and forholding them in engagement therewith during a'portion onlyv I of the rotation of thesupp'ort. 7

5. The combination of two supporting members rotatable simultaneously upon the same vertical axis, a series of lower chucks rotatably mounted upon the lower supporting member on vertical axes, a correspondin series of upper chucks rotatably mounte upon the upper supporting member, the corresponding chucks of the two series being adapted to engage the cans between them, a false -wiring device associated with eachchuck, and means for bringing the'same into action at a certain period of the rotation of the two supports.

6. In a can-making machine, the combination of means for feeding the can bodies and bottoms to the machine, mechanism for then seaming the same together, mechanism for then curling over the top of the body, and

mechanism for then placing "a-cover on the can.

7. The combination of a rotatable horizontal support, a series of chucks mounted thereon, and rotatable on vertical axes, an inclined chute for the can bodies and bot -toms,., a receiving member ada ted to receive c'ans and bodies discharge from said chute and adapted also to. turn upon a hori-.

zontal axis, mechanism for then moving said body and bottom out of said receiving member onto an adj acentchuck. r

8. The combi'nationof a series of chucks, a .chutefor the can bodies and bottoms, a receiving member ada ted to receive the same, mechanism forcausmg said member to turn the body and bottom onto an adjacent chuck,

and a sto in the chute operating'correspondthereby, forming-rollers carried. v-tbe sup- -forcing said slides toward the chucks, a sepressing such roller against the upper end of port and movable toward the chucks, mechanism for so moving them, and a stationary cam for operating such mechanism. 11. The combination of a support, a chuck individually journaled in the support, means for rotating the support and for individually rotating the chuck, a forming-roller carried by the support and shiftable toward the chuck, mechanism for so shifting it while the support is traveling and the chuck rotating.

12. The combination of a rotatable sup-- port, a series oi chucks journaled therein and individually rotatable, a series of formingrollers, a slide for each roller, toggle-links for ries of rods connected with said toggle-links, and a stationary cam adapted to operate said rods. 13. In a can-making machine, the combi-, nation of an upper and lower rotatable support, individually-rotatable chucks mounted in said lower su port, heads carried by the upper support above the chucks, said heads being slidable toward and from the chucks, a roller carried adjacent to each head and traveling with it and the supports, and means for moving such roller toward the can independently of the head.

14. In a can-forming machine, the combi nation of a rotatable chuck adapted to carry the lower end of the can, a rotatable head to engage the upper end of the can, a formingroller carried adjacent to said head and movable with the head as it rotates, means for the can while the can is rotating, and a clutch for holding this head stationary at such time.

- 15. In'a canmaking machine, the combination of an upper and lower rotatable support, individually-rotatable chucks mounted in said lower support, heads carried by the upper support above the chucks, said heads being. slidable toward and from the chuck, wiring-rollers, a yoke carrying such rollers, a l

plun er for depressing the same, a stationary cam having two peripheral grooves, and rollers in said grooves connected respectively with the support for said head and with said I 5o plunger. 16. In a can-making machine, the combination of a rotatable chuck adapted to support'the can-bottom and a surmounted body, means for seaming the two together while on such chuck, a discharge-platecarried by the chuck, and means for forcing ittoward the can to force the same ofi of the chuck.

17. In a can-making machine, the combination of means for feeding to the machine can bodies and bottoms, traveling means for carrying such parts in the machine, mechanism acting on such parts While they are traveling to seam them together, and mechanism subsequently acting upon the can-body while it is traveling to curl its upper edge.

nation of. means for feeding to the machine can bodies and bottoms, traveling means for carrying such parts in the machine, mechanism acting on such'parts while they are traveling to scam them together, means for feed-' ing can-covers to the machine, and mechanism for placing the same on the traveling can after the can bodies and bottoms have been seamed together.

19. In a can-making machine, the "combination of means for automatically supplying the machine with can bodies and bottoms, means for causing the same to travel through the nachine, means for seaming the. same together during such traveling, means for thereafter curling the upper edge of the can during such traveling, means for feeding cancovers to the machine, means for placing the same on the can during its travel in the machine, and means for finally discharging the completed can.

18. In a can-making machine, the combi-' In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS J. DUGAN. 

